Kewell ready for first jewel

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Harry Kewell and Liverpool take on Chelsea in the Carling Cup
final tomorrow with the Socceroo star hoping to win his first
trophy in English football.

Kewell will be named in Liverpool's squad for the decider after
a successful comeback for the Reds in their Champions League win
against Bayer Leverkusen last week.

Kewell said the final against Premier League leaders Chelsea
would be one of the biggest matches of his career and that
Liverpool were confident of winning the competition they last won
in 2003.

"This is my first final so of course it's significant," Kewell
said.

"I'm not sure even if I'm playing yet, let alone what the result
will be, but I know that we can beat anyone on our day. As we
showed in the last game [against Leverkusen], even without some of
our best players, we can still play great football."

Liverpool will welcome back talisman Steven Gerrard to the side
after he missing the Champions League win through suspension.

Kewell said the past week could prove a turning point in
Liverpool's season and see Rafael Benitez's team begin to seriously
establish itself as an alternative to dominance by Chelsea,
Manchester United and Arsenal.

"We'll have to see if the season is about to turn," Kewell told
The Sun-Herald. "I never like making predictions but we all
know what we can do and it's up to us to show it when it
counts."

Chelsea have endured a week to forget, knocked out of the FA Cup
by Newcastle United and beaten by Barcelona in the Champions League
on Thursday.

Liverpool hope to seal an unwanted hat-trick for Chelsea - three
losses on the run.

"Everyone gets beaten sooner or later so it's only a matter of
time," Kewell said of Liverpool's chances of adding to the London
team's woes.

The Socceroo came under the spotlight during the week when
Benitez criticised Australian coach Frank Farina and Kewell's
manager Bernie Mandic.

Benitez accused the Australians of influencing Kewell to have an
operation to fix injuries that have marred his season.

"No one connected with the Australian team has ever tried to
tell me to have an operation or anything else to do with my
injuries," Kewell said. "That includes Frank Farina and my
agent.

"Everything that I do is my decision and I have always worked
with the club doctors to sort our any problems."

Chelsea face Liverpool with their concern being the fitness of
William Gallas after Damien Duff and Didier Drogba have been passed
fit.

Although the Carling Cup lacks the prestige of the Premier
League title or FA Cup, the knockout competition remains highly
prized.

Chelsea have not won a championship title in 50 years and last
won a trophy - the FA Cup - in 2000 under Gianluca Vialli.

Liverpool's 2001 League Cup was their third trophy that year,
having already collected the UEFA Cup and the FA Cup.

"We are thinking about more than this one," Benitez said. "Our
idea is that this will be the first stone in the wall as we start
to build something."